Lily Potter: Beginnings
by i love you because
Summary: Lily Potter's first year in Hogwarts. Of Quidditch, houses, new rivals, midnight endeavors and a Dark Lord on the rise.
1. Goodbyes and Sorting

**Lily Potter:** Beginnings

**Synopsis: **Lily Potter's first year in Hogwarts. Of Quidditch, houses, new rivals, midnight endeavors and a Dark Lord on the rise. Lily/Scorpius eventually.

-

-

One : _Goodbyes and Sorting ._

After years of watching her brothers board the Hogwarts Express, the day had finally arrived for Lily Potter to attend Hogwarts like the rest of them. She felt neither squeamish nor giddily excited like her brothers had been; just matter-of-fact about the whole ordeal. It was about time.

The five Potters gathered in the Station, waiting for the Weasleys to arrive so that they could go together. Although Lily was impatient, she was glad to be waiting for Hugo. At least she'd definitely have one friend in her year.

"All set, Lil?" her mother asked, ruffling her long sheet of blood red hair affectionately, causing Lily to protest with an embarrassed "Mo-om!"

Her mother laughed.

"We'll take care of her, mom," Albus put in, sticking out his chest proudly causing James to burst out laughing.

"Yeah, Lil. Like about the sorting..." James started, a wicked smile gracing his face. "You know the Hat throws curses in your head and sees-"

"James!" Mrs. Potter admonished as Harry smiled.

"What?" James started, innocently. "I'm just _warning_-"

"You'll be fine, Lily," her father assured her.

"I _know_," Lily said with a huff. "James, you're not scaring me."

"_Now_ I'm not," James said, with a straight face. "Wait till you actually-"

He was interrupted once again by the arrival of the Weasleys. Hugo immediately attached himself to Lily's side as they put together everything their siblings had ever said about Hogwarts and wondered what it would actually be like. Although years of watching her brothers go to Hogwarts had made her more wary of being left out than eager to go, Lily started to feel excited in spite of herself.

"What if you're in Slytherin?" Hugo wondered aloud, his eyes widening.

"Me? In Slytherin?" Lily scoffed, placing her hands on her hips the way her mother did when she was annoyed. "You think I'll be in Slytherin?"

"Just what if?" Hugo hastily elaborated. "What would you do?"

"I'd die!" Lily exclaimed, wrinkling her nose. "What would _you_ do?"

"Mom said it doesn't matter," Hugo said, hesitantly.

"Of course she'll _say that_," Lily said, raising an eyebrow. "I don't wanna be in Hufflepuff either. James will make fun of me!"

The Weasleys' and Potters' chattered and bickered all the way till Platform Nine and Three Quarters, where Lily bid goodbye to her parents for the first time. Lily tried to look as poised as she could as her mother and Aunt Hermione hugged her goodbye, but she did feel weird tagging along with her brothers and cousins instead of staying behind with Hugo.

"Be good, James!"

"Goodbye Lily!"

"Take care, Hugo!"

"Don't forget to write, Rose!"

"Tell Kane he can spend Christmas with us like last year, Albus!"

The feeling only increased as they boarded the Hogwarts Express, James being quick to separate himself from the clan. Rose and Albus too hastily went to find their friends.

"Nice of them to look out for us," Hugo commented causing Lily to scowl in agreement.

"Let's find an empty compartment," she told him, as they dragged their luggage from one compartment to another. They were already at the receiving end of a lot of stares and whispering. Albus had warned her about that. Being a Potter had its nuances.

-

They had managed to find themselves a compartment. Only, it hadn't been as empty as Lily would've preferred it to be. The compartment was occupied by three other First Years: a dark haired, olive skinned girl, a girl with strawberry blond hair and a boy with dark brown hair and green eyes.

By the time the lunch trolley arrived, introductions were made and opinions were already formed.

The darked haired girl who was astonishingly beautiful was Blaire Zabini, who had shown the mildest flicker of interest at Lily Potter ("So your father's Harry Potter?" she'd confirmed, closing the question with a mocking sneer) and had already decided that the others weren't worth her interest.

The boy with dark brown hair and gleaming green eyes was Jimmy Kingston, a muggleborn who was interested in the littlest thing that had magic in it which greatly amused the rest. The other girl was petite with curly strawberry blond locks, a laughing mouth and sea-blue eyes that betrayed the slightest change in her mood, and was called Kimberly Constance who preferred to be known by her last name.

While the Constances' were a wizarding family who were practically unheard of, Lily immediately knew she would get along well with the well mannered, cheery girl, despite the fact that girls like Constance usually annoyed her.

Jimmy and Hugo were already deep in conversation. Hugo seemed to be fascinated by the muggle notes Jimmy had carried with him, clearly sharing his grandfather's curiosity about muggles.

Lily rolled her eyes at them and helped herself to another Chocolate Frog.

"Uhh. I got my dad again," Lily complained, holding up the Chocolate Frog card she'd got. "You'd think they'd get tired of making more of those."

"Ooo..I've got hundred and eight Harry Potter ones!" Constance exclaimed.

"My point exactly," Lily said, letting the card fall on Jimmy's lap. Jimmy peered at the card enthusiastically.

Hugo broached the topic of Sorting once again, clearly still apprehensive about it. Blaire seemed to scorn the very thought of being sorted in Hufflepuff while Lily expressed her wish to be in no other house but Gryffindor. Hugo still seemed doubtful. Rose had been sorted in Ravenclaw, and while he was neither smart like his sister nor as brave, he didn't like the options left. Constance didn't seemed that affected by it.

Her mother had been in Hufflepuff and her father in Ravenclaw. Whatever house she was sorted in, it didn't really make a difference to her.

"Uh, what are you folks talking about?" Jimmy finally asked, after listening in on the whole conversation.

"Loser," Blaire murmured with a cough, turning away.

As Hugo started briefing him about everything once again, Lily's mind reeled on the different things James and Albus had told her about Hogwarts: the Quidditch lessons they would be having in the middle of the year, the feasts, the vast grounds and the more personal things like Albus's hatred for Scorpius Malfoy and the way James always got a kick out of teasing a Slytherin in his year by the name of Marcus Leaton.

It started raining as the journey loomed on and the compartment door opened once again; A tall boy who looked about Albus's age with a pointed chin, blond hair and glassy gray eyes walked in, with two other boys beside him.

"Your brother summons you, Blaire," he called, looking rather bored.

"About time," Blaire grumbled before following him out.

"Glad _that's_ the last we'll be seeing of her," Constance commented as the others nodded vehemently.

She was wrong.

-

By the time they trudged into the Entrance Hall, they were all soaking wet. Lily looked down at her brand new robes critically. They were very well made but the fact that they were now sopping wet made it feel rather heavy on her. Why did the First Years have to go through the Lake on such a horribly rainy day?

The Great Hall was thankfully warm, though the ceiling was dark and bleary, bolts of lightning flashing every few seconds. Thank _god_ it was only enchanted. Lily followed the others who trooped towards the Sorting Hat that looked shabby and worn, far shabbier than Lily had expected it to look.

"I am _not_ putting _that_ _thing_ on my head," she heard Blaire Zabini whisper haughtily to another raven-haired girl whom she seemed to have befriended over the journey.

_You can go home then,_ Lily thought, shaking her head. I'll _be glad._

"Are you nervous?" Constance asked her, her blue eyes as wide as saucers.

"Not as nervous as Hugo is. I mean, _look _at him," Lily answered, snickering at Hugo who seemed to be chattering and trembling at the same time.

"What's gotten into you?" Lily asked Hugo, frowning, as she nudged him. "Are you _that_ scared?"

"N-no, y-you n-nut. I-it's j-just c-cold." Hugo chattered back, tugging on his soaked robes.

Constance burst out laughing as the Sorting Hat, which opened its brim, finally burst into a song:

_Years ago,_

_When I was but_

_a piece of cloth,_

_you see-_

_The Founders of this School,_

_they put_

_a bit of them_

_in me._

_Brave Gryffindor, he-_

And so it went. The older students started talking amongst themselves, though a few still stared at the Hat with bated breath. They were used to the tradition being repeated again and again. Lily's stomach was clenched as though she wanted to listen to the song, every muscle in her body was strained, waiting for the Sorting to be over and done with.

Finally, the song came to an end, as the Hat once against appeared lifeless on the stool. A tall redheaded witch started calling the names of the First Years. Yes, finally.

"Pritchard, Gray."

"SLYTHERIN!"

"Simons, Charles."

"RAVENCLAW!"

"Weasley, Hugo,"

"Good luck," Lily whispered as Hugo stumbled forward, still chattering.

"GRYFFINDOR" the Hat said after the mildest of pauses.

"Wolfe, Tatiana,"

The raven-haired girl Blaire Zabini had been talking to, made her way towards the stool.

A pause.

"RAVENCLAW!"

Raising an eyebrow at Blaire, she made her way towards the Ravenclaw table.

"Newton, Alfred."

"RAVENCLAW!"

"Kingston, Jimmy,"

Jimmy looked petrified. Constance practically pushed him forward.

"GRYFFINDOR!"

Jimmy happily joined Hugo at the Gryffindor table, James and Albus clapping him on.

"Constance, Kimberly."

"You'll still talk to me even if I'm in Slytherin, right?" Constance confirmed, peering at Lily worriedly.

"Oh, I don't know..." Lily said loftily, before adding. "Trust me, you're no Slytherin."

Grinning, Constance bounced forward. She sat on the stool, comically still, as an extra long silence loomed. Just as everyone was starting to look at her worriedly, the silence was broken:

"GRYFFINDOR!"

"See you at the table," Constance told Lily breezily as she joined Hugo and Jimmy. A tall blond Slytherin Lily recognised from earlier in the train and his friends were booing her.

"Zabini, Blaire."

"SLYTHERIN!"

"Potter, Lily."

_It's me._ Lily thought, as she willed herself to reach the stool, feeling everyone's eyes on her. What had happened to the hushed conversations and the disinterest? Why had it all melted away? The Sorting Hat was placed on her as every person in the Hall wondered which house the youngest Potter would be sorted into.

Lily waited for the Hat to speak. Wasn't it supposed to speak? Why wasn't it speaking?

_Ah._ she finally heard it say, as she jumped.

_Just sort me already, Hat,_ she thought, getting impatient. Hadn't the Hat sorted James into Gryffindor the very minute its brim touched his head?

_I'm afraid it'll take longer. You, Lily Potter, are more complex than I would've foreseen._

_What are you talking about? _She thought, annoyed.

_Intelligent, but not especially wise. Loyal, but slippery. Courage. Yes, there's definitely courage but it's the courage to take risks, to make difficult choices, to be different...courage, ambition and jealousy...Yes, Lily Potter-_

She froze as she saw where this was going.

_No._ she said at once. _Not Slytherin. Please, not Slytherin._

_Not Slytherin, eh? Are you sure? You would do well in Slytherin, Lily Potter._

_No, I wouldn't._

Her initial impatience disappeared as she was now shaking. She could still feel eyes on her. She, once again, noticed a pair of gray eyes belonging to a Slytherin already seated. His eyes were gleaming as his mouth bore traces of a knowing smirk. She shuddered.

_Not Slytherin. Please. Definitely not Slytherin._

_Well, if you're so sure..._

"GRYFFINDOR!" the Hat finally shouted as Lily hopped off the stool.

She felt relief, not happiness. Still shaking, Lily joined her friends and cousins, trying not to think about what the Hat had just said. Yet, the damage had been done. Throughout the feast, nothing tasted right as a bitter taste in her mouth lingered. Should she really have been in Slytherin?

-


	2. Doubts and Friendships

**Lily Potter:** Beginnings

**Synopsis: **Lily Potter's first year in Hogwarts. Of Quidditch, houses, new rivals, midnight endeavors and a prospective Dark Lord on the rise. Lily/Scorpius eventually.

-

-

Two : _Doubts and Friendships ._

Lily Potter certainly didn't feel herself that night. She'd followed Hugo, Constance, Jimmy, Fred, Victorie, Albus, James and Rose to the common room but didn't feel like taking part in the various overlapping conversations. She even ate the canary cream James offered her to 'congratulate her', quite forgetting the probability that it had come from her uncles' joke shop.

After the canary incident, she went straight to bed, ignoring Constance's wide-eyed looks of concern.

She couldn't sleep that night. She tossed and turned restlessly, flipping her pillow over and lying on her back before lying face down once again. She could hear Cornelia Wood talk in her sleep a few feet away, causing her to snicker slightly but the source of worry hit her again.

_Get over it. You're in Gryffindor anyway._ she told herself, trying to shake off the feeling of anxiety and shame she felt.

_Yeah sure. Because you asked it to._

A tear rolled down her cheek. Right then, Lily felt completely miserable. This was not how her first day was supposed to be. She, Lily Potter, was supposed to have had second helpings of everything in the feast before chatting with everybody and heading upstairs only when it was late and she was completely exhausted. Why was she letting such a small thing worry her? Was she really meant to be in the same house as Blaire Zabini?

A long, painful howl interrupted her thoughts as she jumped. Where did that come from? Another howl rang louder than the last only minutes later. It sounded like it was coming from an animal.

She squeezed her eyes shut, trying to block out the noise and willing herself to fall asleep.

-

"Morning sunshine," Constance said brightly, as Lily joined her at the Gryffindor Table for breakfast. She was sitting next to a rather tall brunette Lily recognised as Alexandra Hopkins.

Lily grunted, wordlessly helping herself to some toast, searching for the marmalade.

"Lily, I want you to meet Alexandra Hopkins," Constance continued, ignoring Lily's subtle indication that she was in a less than pleasant mood.

Lily waved at Alexandra, her mouth full of toast, and Alexandra, who seemed to find her gesture comical, waved back giggling.

"I can't believe you're like, Lily Potter," Alexandra chimed, grinning widely.

_Please stop talking,_ Lily thought, groaning inside. What was she doing with these two Little Miss Sunshines? She glared at Constance, who raised an eyebrow.

"What's the matter with you?" Constance finally blurted out.

"Nothing," Lily said at once, immediately feeling guilty. "Didn't sleep well."

"Me too!" Alexandra squealed, getting excited for no particular reason. "Did you hear noises too?"

"Noises?" Constance echoed, frowning.

"You mean the animal noises?" Lily said suddenly, remembering. That had only worsened her state of sleeplessness last night.

"Yeah, now that I think of it," Constance said, slowly. "It was sort of like, _growling_."

"No, more like _howling_."

"Yeah."

"It was weird."

"It was _annoying_."

"You know what it sounded like?" Alexandra said. "It sounded like an Aeschylus Hycoon."

"A what?"

"It's a dark creature with a large sucker-like mouth." Alexandra explained, her eyes widening. "It sucks blood."

"It sounds like a vampire."

"Believe me, it's much worse than a vampire," Alexandra said. "It sucks only pure blood."

"What?"

"Blood of purebloods. Magical blood that has been passed on through generations."

"I'm sure Professor McGonagall wouldn't let such a creature-" Constance started.

"Of course she wouldn't," the brunette agreed. "It probably got there on its own because-"

"Of course. There are a lot of purebloods in Hogwarts," Constance pointed out.

Lily burst out laughing.

"What?" Alexandra started, annoyed.

"You guys are funny," Lily said. "I'm sure an Aschy whatever doesn't even exist. Even if it does, I'm sure McGonagall would've done something about it. And even if she doesn't, if the creature's clever enough, it'll go for the Slytherins."

"The True Pure bloods," Constance agreed, in a faux arrogant voice as the three of them chortled.

"I hope it _does _exist now," Lily said, laughing along with them, pushing the thing that had been troubling her from yesterday to the back of her head.

-

They had their first Transfiguration lesson with the Ravenclaws that afternoon. Transfiguration was taught by Professor Leaton, the red haired witch who'd been at the Sorting. Professor Leaton seemed too meek and gentle for her own good. Most of them had already decided that she was a pushover.

She let everyone introduce themselves. Lily noticed that Tatiana Wolfe, Blaire's Zabini's friend smirked at Lily mockingly when she introduced herself. So much for not judging anybody. She then assigned everybody places where they would be sitting for the rest of the year, which was met with groans and a lot of muttering.

Hugo was paired off with Andy More, Constance with Bianca Snow and Lily with Tatiana Wolfe. Lily repressed a groan, trying not to look at Tatiana.

"If you have a problem sitting with me," Tatiana said smoothly, her eyes narrowing as she patted her raven locks. "Just say so."

"Hark, look who's talking," Lily snapped back, as to her surprise, Tatiana reddened.

"You can't expect me to worship the ground you walk on like the rest of the mudblood scum around just because you're a Potter," Tatiana shot back, making Lily want to throw something at her.

"I never asked you to," Lily retorted smoothly.

"Glad that's settled."

"Me too."

They wouldn't be friends for sure.

-

It was only when her first letter arrived that Lily remembered that she'd promised to write as soon as she reached Hogwarts.

_Dear Lily,_ her mother had written in neat, printed calligraphy.

_I haven't heard from you. Albus told me you were sorted into Gryffindor. Your father and I are so proud of you though of course, we'd be proud no matter what house you're in. _(Are you sure? She thought, bitterly.) _I hope you're having a great time. Hagrid wrote to us saying that you're invited to his cabin for tea whenever you like._

_Write to us as soon as you can._

_-Mom._

Lily wrote back talking about her new friends, teachers and all the things she'd learned. She sounded cheerful, content and so _so_ fake that she couldn't bear to read the letter again. She didn't write about how lonely and neglected she felt.

Though she had made friends, it felt weird to see James, Fred, Albus, Rose and the rest having lives and friends of their own. She didn't write about how separated she felt from them. How it felt to be known as Fred's cousin or James's sister or worse, Harry Potter's daughter. How Hugo and her barely spoke as he hung out more with Jimmy and a few other boys. How their conversations were getting more impersonal and quick.

She searched the crowded common room for Albus, so that she could borrow Snowy, his owl. She had chosen to get a fancy, shockingly expensive quill instead of a pet but she now regretted her decision. She finally spotted Albus who was laughing with Lila Hawkins.

"Oh hey Lils," Albus said grinning as Lily approached him. "How are things?"

"Great," was her monosyllabic response. "Can I borrow your owl?"

"Sure. Snowy's in the Owlery," he said promptly.

Lily scowled.

"Can't you summon it?" she asked, pouting slightly.

"Sure. If I'm insane." Albus responded in the same tone, causing Lila Hawkins to laugh like it was the funniest joke on earth.

"Liar. You just don't know the summoning charm."

"I so do."

"Oh, forget it," she muttered before marching out of the common room.

"Hey Lily? Are you alright?" she heard him calling after her.

She ignored him, feeling anger so childish and irrational but somehow, strangely justified.

-

"Are you alright?" Hugo asked her once again in the Great Hall. "Albus told me something was wrong."

"Sure." Lily said, pulling her chair towards Constance and Alexandra.

"Liar." Hugo said easily. "You so aren't."

"So are."

"So aren't."

"So are."

"So aren't."

"How long are you going to keep it up?"

"As long as you do," Lily said easily.

"What's the problem, Lils?" Hugo asked, concern apparent in his features.

"I told you. Nooothing."

"Something's troubling you." he maintained, loading his plate with food. "You know I know it."

"Well, if I know you know then why don't you keep knowing and let me eat?"

"Now aren't you making a lot of sense?" he said, grinning.

"I know I am."

"Aren't."

"Am."

"Stuff it."

"What? The chicken?" Lily asked, innocently.

"You are _so _lame, Lily Potter," Hugo said, but burst out laughing anyway.

Lily smiled in spite of herself. Was it just her or was she glad to be talking like this with Hugo again? Constance and Alexandra were great but after living in a family full of boys, the giggling and girl talk got too much sometimes.

"You were right," Lily finally admitted.

"I know." Hugo said immediately. "Wait, about what?"

"Something _was_ troubling me," she said hesitantly.

"Spill. Oh, and not the pumpkin juice."

"Oh ha ha," Lily said, rolling her eyes. She opened her mouth and closed it again.

"Well?"

"It's the whole Sorting thing," she admitted. "The Hat...well, did it say a lot for you?"

"Not much," Hugo said, with a shrug. "Though it had a real tough time with Jimmy. Couldn't decide whether to put him in Hufflepuff or Gryffindor."

"Well, it was something like that for me," she said. "It put me in Gryffindor only because I asked it to."

"So?"

"Well, so...that's just..." Lily couldn't find the right words.

"Hey, it doesn't really matter, Lils," he said, shaking his head. "In the end, it's all about who you are, right?"

"But it put me in Gryffindor only because I _asked it to_."

"And that kind of tells us who you are, right?" Hugo said with a shrug. "Your choices."

She paused to consider what he said.

"Since when did you become so wise?" Lily asked, shoving him playfully as she started to feel better already.

"I didn't," Hugo said grinning. "Albus told me something like that."

"Now _that_ makes sense," Lily shot back which caused Hugo to shove her back.

Shoves soon became pokes which became nudges and a full-fledged wrestling match.

Constance and Alexandra were cheering Lily on as Jimmy and Leon Bend made Hugo's cheer leading team. After that, they were as close as they used to be again. As days passed, Lily, Jimmy, Hugo, Leon and Alexandra soon became a tightly knit group, who were as loud and scatter-brained as first years could be. Lily, who had always taken her friendship with Hugo for granted, finally realised how much it truly meant.

-


	3. Tricksteps and Trick Wands

**Lily Potter:** Beginnings

**Synopsis: **Lily Potter's first year in Hogwarts. Of Quidditch, houses, new rivals, midnight endeavors and a prospective Dark Lord on the rise. Lily/Scorpius eventually.

-

-

Three : _Fake Wands and Trick Steps ._

"Ow," Alexandra, who was now more regularly called Lexi said wincing as she accidentally cut herself for what seemed like the hundredth time in Potions.

"Have you _ever_ cut anything before?" Constance asked amused, as she pushed her neatly chopped myrmidon roots to the side before searching for her wand to heat the cauldron.

"No," Lexi admitted, grimacing as she pushed the blade of the knife into the myrmidon root, willing it to miraculously split into minuscule even portions.

"Well, thank _god_," Hugo said, causing Lexi to scowl at him, struggling to pull the knife out.

"Use _Diffindo_," Lily told Lexi smoothly. "I haven't tried it but I think it'll be easier when it's already in shards."

Lily was already stirring her boiling cauldron with the tip of her wand, the potion emitting spiral smoke rings as the book said she should have got by now. The first years were making a potion for the first time. After a month of mainly theoretical lessons, Professor Slughorn had finally decided that they were ready to start with the practical bit.

Though they had all entered the class excited at the prospect, they soon found that it was a rather tedious and mind numbing process. The period was almost over and no one had managed to finish their work. Amanda Jorkins _had _finished but her potion was a murky gray with solid chunks, nowhere near what the Cough Potion was supposed to look like.

"How do you do it?" Lexi moaned, staring at Lily's cauldron with envy.

"It's not that hard," Lily said matter-of-factly. "I'd rather be lousy at this and decent at Defense Against the Dark Arts though."

"But you _are_ decent at Defense," Constance said loyally.

Lily bit back a laugh.

Professor Shingle, the Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher had been another one of those people to expect great things from Lily Potter thanks to her surname. However, Lily hadn't really kept up to his expectations. Today was the first day they had used their wand in Defense and she hadn't even managed to master _Lumos_, the most basic spell needed while others had got it in minutes. It had both frustrated and annoyed her. What was she? A squib?

"Timee's...up!" she heard Professor Slughorn call, as he started to inspect everyone's cauldrons.

Lexi was still struggling with the knife as Hugo hastily stirred his cauldron from which bubbled an alarmingly frothy pink liquid.

"Excellent!" he beamed as he reached Lily's cauldron. "This is precisely what is required. Pray, what's your na-"

He stopped as Lily looked up, his chin wobbling excitedly.

"Of course! Lily Potter!" he boomed. "I should've guessed! Your grandmother and your father had the same extraordinary-"

-

"_Lumos_," she said for the hundredth time, gritting her teeth. Her heart actually leapt when it gave out the tiniest golden spark. Pa-thet-tic.

"Come on, Lils," Hugo pressed on, though she could see he was growing impatient. "You can do it."

"I _can't_," she said, frustrated. "I'm a bloody squib. That's what I am."

They were in the common room practicing. Or rather, Lily was. Hugo had mastered it by now. She looked at Constance and Lexi who were playing Exploding Snap in the corner wishing she could join them. But no. She couldn't be the only idiot who couldn't perform the simplest spell. That would just be the worst thing that could happen to her. Why couldn't she do it? Wasn't Albus top in Defense? Wasn't James's stunning spell the strongest? What was wrong with her?

"Why am I not surprised?" she heard James say as he settled down next to them.

"Stuff it, Jaimie," she said, scowling.

"What? The chicken?" James responded, grinning as Hugo burst out laughing. "Heard of that _hilarious_ comeback of yours, little sis. Ingenious, that was."

Her scowl only deepened as she turned away.

"_Lumos_," she said again, her mind clouded with hundreds of different things.

Another spark and nothing more.

She let out a scream of anguish, not knowing what to do. Why oh why wasn't she getting it?

"This is absurd. Your wand movement is perfectly right and you don't even need to concentrate that much to get this spell right," Hugo said frowning as James snickered.

"That brings us back to the squib explanation," he said with a straight face as he got up.

"Where're you going?" Lily asked, shaking her wand as though her wand were an ink-less pen.

"Going to annoy Marcus Leaton. You take care, lil sis," he said easily before heading towards the portrait hole.

Lily turned herself in such a way that she was upside down, gritting her teeth.

"_Lumos_," she tried again.

Nothing.

-

Charms was worse. But since it was uniformly worse for everyone, that was okay. At least she wasn't the only one who didn't get the _Alohomora_ charm. As the sky darkened and the full moon was almost visible, Lily, Hugo, Constance and her trooped down to the Quidditch Pitch to see the Gryffindor Quidditch practice.

Lily recognised Teddy Lupin, the Gryffindor Captain and Keeper, James who was a Beater and Cousin Victorie who was a Chaser. The others she couldn't quite match the face with the name.

"Teddy Lupin..." Constance started suddenly, staring at him dreamily. "...is sooo dedicated."

Lily caught Hugo's eye as they struggled hard not to burst out laughing.

"Um, ew," Lily finally said in a strangled tone.

Watching Teddy and Cousin Victorie practically _snog _each other mid air made her all the more sick. What was _with_ everybody?

Teddy, when she looked at him properly, didn't even look that well lately. There were bags under his eyes and his face looked paler. Constance however seemed instantly smitten with the Seventh Year Quidditch Captain.

-

"Noo you didn't!!" Constance shrieked as Lexi's leg once again got caught in the trick step on the way to the Gryffindor Common Room after dinner.

Lexi started screaming as Lily's head started pounding.

"Lexiii!!!" Lily moaned, jumping up and down before Constance and her pulled her up with difficulty.

"You'd think you'd learn to skip the step by the hundredth time we've climbed the stairs!" Constance exclaimed as they walked towards the portrait hole.

"The chances of her leg being fractured are better, I think," Lily responded grinning.

Lexi shot her a glare causing Lily to stick her tongue out at her.

"Oh no. The password was changed this evening," Lexi remembered, as they reached the portrait hole. "Any idea what it is?"

"Oh yeah, James told me," Lily said. " _Aeschylus Hycoon_."

The portrait door swung open.

"Aeschylus Hycoon..doesn't that sound familiar?" Constance mumbled to herself as Lily bid Hugo and Jimmy goodnight as she followed Lexi into her dormitory.

She yawned, placing her wand on the side-table of her four-poster bed, frowning when she saw another similar one next to it. Pieces clicked together as she slapped her hand on her forehead.

"Lexi?" Lily said slowly.

"Uh huh?"

"I think I know why I couldn't do anything in Charms and Defense. Even the _Lumos_ spell."

"Really? Whyy?"

"I've been carrying a fake wand with me all day."

-


	4. Desires and Discoveries

**Lily Potter:** Beginnings

**Synopsis: **Lily Potter's first year in Hogwarts. Of Quidditch, houses, new rivals, midnight endeavors and a prospective Dark Lord on the rise. Lily/Scorpius eventually.

-

-

Four : _Desires and Discoveries ._

"I couldn't sleep last night," Constance complained as Lexi nodded.

"Yeah, that bloody noise was too much to take," Lexi agreed, yawning.

"Still reckon it's the Aeschylus Hycoon?" Constance asked wearily.

"Uh huh." Lexi said matter of factly. "What else could it be?"

Lily snorted and rolled her eyes. She'd heard the noises too, however. It obviously came from some sort of a creature. The howls were dragged out and tortured, as though begging for help. What had caused it? As ridiculous as the Aeschylus crap was, she was just as interested to find the source of whatever was going on.

"We could check the library," Lexi said brightly.

They had soon discovered that although Lexi was scatterbrained at everything practical, she worked well with the theoretical work. Books to her were a source of squeamish delight that should've been made illegal.

"I have a better idea," Lily said, speaking at last.

They looked at her enquiringly.

"We should go check it out ourselves," she said matter-of-factly and on being met with blank looks continued,"You know? Sneak out. At night. And hopefully catch a glimpse of that thing?"

-

"I expect your group Transfiguration essays to be at my desk by tomorrow," Professor Leaton snapped as she closed the rather huge book she'd been reading from with a loud _thud._ Many exchanged puzzled looks with one another. Professor Leaton seemed to be in a rather rotten mood that day. Her normally timid voice was loud and harsh and the way she carried herself was...well there was no other word for it..._scary._

_Group Transfiguration essays?_ Lily thought, frowning. She was dying to find out what was exactly meant by that but the thought of having her head bitten off kept her glued to her seat.

She was thankful for the one brave hand that shot up.

"Yes, Ms. Zabini?" Professor Leaton said with gritted teeth. Foul mood or not, what was with the sudden hatred flashing in her eyes as she looked at Blaire Zabini?

"What do you by mean by G_roup Transfiguration essays..._Professor?" Blaire asked, her voice steady and smooth, either oblivious or unconcerned about being at the receiving end of that venomous look.

"That's obvious, I should think," Professor Leaton replied, her expression not softening. "You and your partner, that is whoever you were assigned to sit with, will have to submit a joint essay summarizing everything I have taught today. Which, if your brain was too slow to process, is _Introduction to Transfiguration: Part Three_ from page forty five onwards."

Lily let out an inward groan as her eyes met Tatiana's. Tatiana seemed to be just as affected.

"Shall we get it done after dinner then?" Lily asked, trying to be civil about it.

"I don't think I feel up to it," Tatiana responded prissily, her voice flat.

Despite the fact that the dark bags under her eyes supported her statement, Lily couldn't help but feel annoyed.

"Fine. I'll do it for both of us," Lily shot back in the sulkiest tone she could muster, trying to make her feel as guilty as possible.

It worked. Tatiana's face fell a bit and she looked like she was going to say something. But Lily turned away before she could.

Snubbing Tatiana didn't make her feel better or happier, however. Lily was surprised to find that it only made her feel smaller.

-

"Psst. Lily!"

"Whaa..?" Lily squealed, nearly jumping out of her seat.

She whirled around only to calm down as she realized who it was.

"Oh you," she said relieved as she turned back to the table scattered with quills, ink and scrolls of parchment. "What did you do that for?"

"It's always fun," Hugo answered grinning as he settled down next to her.

"But it's the _Library,_" Lily reminded him. "Madam Pince would've probably had you banned from here if I'd screamed any louder."

"Well it's not my fault you're in the _Library_ of all places,"

"It's not my fault Tatiana Wolfe has practically dumped all the work on me," Lily whined, her eyes widening. "Who does that?"

Hugo snorted.

"If that's so scandalous why is Lexi doing your Defense homework in the common room this very minute?" he asked, his mouth twitching.

Lily reddened.

"Well, she offered?" she said weakly. "I couldn't say no?"

"And what an inner struggle you must've had," Hugo agreed dryly with a grave nod.

"Hahaha." she retorted. "Why are you even here, Mr. I-Detest-the-Library?"

"Plans for tonight," he said at once, straightening. "I heard you girls are planning to do some detective work."

"And you're actually interested in joining?"

"No way," he said, grinning. "But Jimmy and I want to check out the Kitchens."

"Typical."

"And we were wondering if we could borrow Albus's Invisibility Cloak-" Albus continued.

"No way. That was our plan," Lily interrupted-

"Oh, come on. What if we use it till the Kitchens and hand it over?"

"What'll we do till then?"

"You can afford to creep around a bit! Horney's got to be the most ill-suited man for the Caretaker job. I heard he's deaf in one year _and_ has a soft spot for girls!"

"Gross!" Lily said, rolling her eyes.

Hugo held her gaze, patiently waiting for something else.

"Oh, all right," she said resignedly. "You can use the cloak. Till the Kitchens. But you're asking Albus."

"Yeah well, I heard James say Albus hasn't _ever_ used it," Hugo said, shaking his head. "He has to let someone do it for him at least."

-

Albus let Hugo borrow the cloak without hesitation. He had totally bought Hugo's long winded explanation with overly imaginative bits that were totally not needed. Or maybe he hadn't. Nevertheless, the cloak was in their hands.

The journey to the Kitchens was a difficult one as only four of them could fit into the cloak with a good bit of leg being shown. After a lot of squabbling about whether they should split up early or not, Jimmy and Hugo ended up with the cloak.

"How?" Lexi grumbled, shaking her head. "How did we let them?"

"Well, Hugo had a good point-" Constance started as Lily winced.

"Hugo had nothing. You shouldn't let that squid speak at all. He can get pretty much get his way with his dragon-dung sometimes," Lily said with a groan.

"And you let him because...?" Lexi asked, as Constance grasped hold of her tightly as they neared the trick-step.

"I was trying to be nice," Lily said with a sigh. "It's this new...thing."

_This new thing where I let what the Hat said get to me from time to time even _after_ what Hugo said that day. _She finished in her mind. Did she really belong in Gryffindor?

Well, she had friends. But Lily still felt like a leftover with the Potter name tag attached. Would Constance have befriended her if she hadn't been a Potter? Yet, at the same time, maybe Tatiana and her would've been friends if she hadn't been a Potter. Who knew?

Lily had caught herself glancing in Tatiana's direction from time to time both in the Transfiguration class and outside. She couldn't help overhearing bits and pieces of Tatiana's conversations with Blaire or one of her Ravenclaw friends. Although Tatiana looked paler and more bleary-eyed sometimes, she had no problem in telling Blaire off when she wanted to. She was also free of the honeyed sweetness and innocence that exemplified Constance and Lexi.

Lily found herself mentally thinking over the things she could've added to the conversation, wishing she was a part of it. Yet the more she thought about it, the more stupid it all sounded. Wanting to be Tatiana's friend made her feel more than desperate. James would've scoffed at her if he knew half of the things going on in her head. James had never wanted to be friends with anyone; others wanted to be friends with him.

Why was the littlest Potter different from her brothers in the most disappointing ways?

-

It was nearly midnight and Lily, Constance and Lexi were huddled up in the Trophy Room, waiting. But no howls echoed through the walls. Nothing interrupted the almost moanful silence.

"Why aren't we in the Grounds?" Lexi asked.

"Because walking up will be a bother. Let's wait for it first," Constance said with a shrug.

They waited and waited and waited. Midnight came and went. They grew restless and chattered dispassionately, each wondering if the plan had fallen flat on their face after all.

"We should go back," Lily finally said scowling, daring to say the words that were inevitable and in this case, dreaded.

"Yeah.." Constance said, her face falling.

"Well, if that wasn't a waste-" Lexi started, getting up but she was interrupted by a distinct shriek of agony-

Lexi nearly fell down with fright-

"Is it-"

"_Of course _not_._ It sounds nothing like the Aschyphic Typhoon." Lily whispered impatiently.

"It's _Aeschylus Tycoon_," Lexi hissed next to her.

The whispers abruptly stopped as footsteps neared the Trophy Room. _Thud. Thud. Thud._

"Leave me alone." a low, controlled male voice said bluntly.

"Marcus, I cannot tolerate you-" a shrill female voice filled with anguish started-

"_Leave me alone. Mother."_

"It's past curfew. You are very well aware of the consequences of being out of bed after-"

"I-"

"It's happening, isn't it?" her voice grew screechier. "Oh how I didn't want it to happen!"

"I don't understand."

"You think I don't know but I do. You have been in contact with your father, haven't you?"

"It was wrong of you not to tell me about him."

"Marcus, he's-"

"Leave me alone, mother. Please don't let me hurt you."

"It's too late for that, Marcus." her voice was barely a whisper as exiting footsteps could once more be heard.

Lily caught a glimpse of 'Marcus' who lingered for a moment. He was of medium height, broad-shouldered and there were fresh red patches on his face. He looked around deliberately, his jaw set and his eyes constantly moving before following his mother's example and exiting the room.

"I think we just met Marcus Leaton," Lily finally said, still stunned by what she'd seen. "The one James is always making fun of?"

"Weird," Lexi said. "You _did_ recognize the mother didn't you?"

"I couldn't see," Constance said, shrugging.

Lily nodded.

"Well, it was Professor Leaton. I could totally make out from this angle," Lexi said breathlessly, gesturing at the place where she was sitting.

Lily and Constance gasped. Was _that_ Professor Leaton, their meek Transfiguration teacher? The hysteric, tortured voice she'd sported now still gave Lily chills. Another thing which did was the sneaking suspicion at the back of her head that Marcus Leaton had been fully aware of their presence.

-


	5. Quidditch and Unplanned Encounters

**Lily Potter:** Beginnings

**Synopsis: **Lily Potter's first year in Hogwarts. Of Quidditch, houses, new rivals, midnight endeavors and a prospective Dark Lord on the rise. Lily/Scorpius eventually.

-

-

Five: Quidditch and Unplanned Encounters

Days dragged on and plenty of things happened to put the Aeschylus Tycoon and the incident with the Leatons out of her mind. The Halloween Feast came and went and so did their first Quidditch lesson. Lily had inherited her parent's talent for flying. She couldn't forget the feeling she'd got during the kick off... Her fingers trembled, her heart soared and it felt like nothing else mattered anymore. Flying was all she needed. It made her happy.

Flying made up for the other things she was lousy at. She was average at Charms and struggled with Transfiguration. She was passable but not remarkable at Defense like her brothers were. She excelled in Potions with an ease that surprised her as James had always cribbed about it. Yet, Flying she could do. Flying she loved.

It was after her first Quidditch lesson that Lily had finally found the energy to write to her parents. Her mother's letters had been long but she hadn't written back till now. What was there to write? How Jaimie was always teasing her? How Albus was grossing her out with the way he shooed her off when he spoke to Lila, that brunette girl? How Constance was so smitten with Cousin Teddy that Lily was finding her stalkeresque behavior embarrassing?

But that day she'd written till the very end of the parchment, every word oozing of excitement and passion. Passion was something Lily Potter had never shown in anything. Maybe she'd have felt this sooner if she'd been more interested when her brothers practiced Quidditch during their summer holidays. But she had been content with her toy broomstick.

-

"Out of my way!" Lily gasped as she bumped into something very solid on the way to Transfiguration.

She was very very late and she didn't want to think about what Professor Leaton would say. The Professor had grown more and more bad-tempered with every class: her voice quivered, her tone grew harsher and she seemed to get a sick sort of pleasure from insulting her students, particularly Zabini and her friends. Even Zabini who had pretended to be oblivious to it was starting to get annoyed.

She grabbed the quill that had fallen down from her book and looked up to shoot whoever the sorry klutz was the dirtiest look she could muster. But her expression changed when she saw who it was.

_Marcus Leaton._

"Late for class?" Marcus asked in a way that suggested he wasn't simply being nice.

"Probably." Lily said hurriedly, her mind working furiously. What did he have in mind? Had he really seen them that night?

Marcus Leaton was in Slytherin and someone James loathed. He couldn't mean well.

"Transfiguration now?" he inquired in the same tone of nerve-wrecking politeness.

"Yes," she said, not asking him how he knew this.

He smirked at this, as though sharing an inside joke with himself. "It will do you better to not turn up. Professor Leaton is not in the best mood."

"I'll keep that in mind."

He smiled blandly.

"I'm Marcus Leaton," he finally added. "Do you know who I am?"

"Now I do," she said evenly which made him laugh. Her mouth was practically glued shut. She wanted to get out of there. She didn't like the vibe he gave her. It was calculative in the most dangerous way.

"And you are?" he asked, raising an eyebrow.

"L-Lily," she said quietly, knowing the inevitable was coming. She'd have to tell him her full name. This was the part she always dreaded. The part that would either be followed with adoration or contempt. She hated it. She hated it as much as James embraced it.

"Lily..?"

"Lily," she said, firmly and quickly.

He smirked, surprised yet pleased in the way one feels pleased to see another kick and scream with terror or pain.

"I didn't catch your last name," he said softly.

"Does it matter?"

"It always does, doesn't it?" he said, bitterness drenching the sarcasm. "Unless you're ashamed of where you come from."

He walked away as abruptly as he'd bumped into her. She stared after him as the staircase unhinged itself and attached itself to the neighboring one. She didn't notice as a palette of emotions surged through her.

Many would kill to be her: the littlest Potter. Harry Potter's daughter, Albus and James's sister, Fred, Hugo and Victorie's cousin and almost related to Teddy. So why did she always run away from it?

-

An hour later, Lily trudged down the stairs leading to the Entrance Hall. After cutting Transfiguration and nearly getting lost thanks to the moving staircase, she wasn't in the best mood.

By the time she'd figured the way back, she realized she was late for Defense Against The Dark Arts (the class after Transfiguration) as well and wasn't in the mood to rush all the way _there_, only to be met with Professor Shingle's expression of disgruntlement and _disappointment_.

Lily had already decided she hated Professor Shingle, who seemed to expect the impossible from Lily, just because she was a Potter. She seemed to always shoot Lily those looks filled with _worry_, almost as if to say, 'Dear, dear, are you _really_ your father's daughter?'

It reminded her of her encounter with Marcus Leaton and she felt trapped and annoyed with everything and everybody.

She soon reached the school grounds, when she noticed a large shadow hovering over her.

Frowning, she looked up, only to see a very large man with a big beard and a smile that made her feel at home at once.

He'd been walking towards the Entrance Hall, only to be stopped as he'd caught sight of Lily.

"Yer Lily, aren't ya?" he said, his eyes instantly lighting up with recognition.

She bit her lip.

"Hagrid?" she guessed. Her parents had told her all about him.

"I haven' see ya since you was a baby! I was expectin' ter see you the first day. Didn't yer mom write an' tell you y' could come?" he asked.

"Um," she started. She'd totally forgotten about Hagrid's invitation. Her mind had been elsewhere and she'd been too busy feeling unsure about things to want to take part in another Potter tradition.

"Never mind," he said, smiling. "Y' look jus' like yer mother. And a bit of yer father o' course."

There was something in the way Hagrid said it... it sounded like a compliment, not a load of expectation and overestimation of how she was supposed to be. She instantly decided she liked him.

"I've been told," she said with a smile.

"Why don't ya come have somethin' ta eat? Y' look little lonely out here." he said, frowning. "Don't ya have classes?"

"No, I don't now," she lied, as he shook his head.

"Yea righ'!" he said, as she reddened. His smile returned. "Come on then!"

She grinned and followed him, though it would take that one visit for her to realize actually eating anything that was offered would result in a teeth-injury.

-


End file.
